8 ms·

Questions you should ask your interviewer

124 points by franze 16y ago

egor83 16y ago
Down for me, google cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4o0E3AaVkkYJ:www.talentzoo.com/news.php/Questions-You-Absolutely-Must-Ask-Your-Interviewer/%3FarticleID%3D9159+http://www.talentzoo.com/news.php/Questions-You-Absolutely-Must-Ask-Your-Interviewer/%3FarticleID%3D9159&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4o0E3Aa...
georgieporgie 16y ago
Seems more like a list of, "things you should figure out about your prospective employer without actually asking the questions listed here."
- jaidev 16y ago
  Exactly. “Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract?” Really? Why do you need to ask this question (as opposed to just looking at the contract)? Asking this at the interview stage only makes it look like you are interested in going somewhere else (BEFORE) you even have this job...
  - a5seo 16y ago
    Indeed. It's like asking "Will I be expected to sign a prenup?" on the first date.
arethuza 16y ago
When interviewing candidates I am always very careful to give an accurate account of what I feel the expected work life balance is - I certainly wouldn't regard it, as one commenter does, as a "red flag" if someone asked about it.
- limmeau 16y ago
  What kind of work-life-balance does the company you interview for offer?
  - arethuza 16y ago
    I would say "pretty good" - which is probably why I bring it up. This particular office is also in a superb location which is a big factor to me.
- jhc 16y ago
  I've only been on the other side of this, but I feel like there are times I've hurt myself as a candidate with the work/life question. Some employers are looking for (and paying for) people who will put the job above everything else. With them, "work/life balance" might be a dirty word. In hindsight, I would phrase the question more like, "what kind of schedule would a successful [person in this job] at your company keep?" On the other hand, unless you really don't care about having a life outside of work, it's probably better to get rejected by the kind of companies who will reject you for asking the question.
busted 16y ago
Speaking from my experience looking for internships during school and for jobs after graduating, the questions you ask your interviewer are really important. Sure, people tell you that it's important because you want to look interested or like you've given the company thought, but more than that, as a person who's new to the workforce, it's important for you to learn about what's out there and what to expect. Answers to questions about work/life balance like, "What time do people usually come in and leave?", "Do coworkers hang out outside of work?", etc. differ greatly between companies. For internships, knowing the scope of your internship and the level of responsibility is a must. Questions about workflow are also crucial. Where do new ideas for products come from? If I have an idea what's the process for getting it implemented? And if you can't think of anything else, just ask what they think you should know about the company. Maybe you don't know what you don't know! You shouldn't feel like you're walking a fine line between looking disinterested for not asking questions and looking entitled for asking them. Even if you bombed the interview (and who hasn't), asking questions about the company will give you more information for comparison at the companies whose interviews you succeed at. And if you have multiple rounds of interviews, feel free to ask the same question to multiple people to get differing opinions. The company you go to is going to be part of your life for a long time, educate yourself about work environments just like you educate yourself about your field.
anthonyb 16y ago
One of my favorites: "What was the last unit test you wrote, and what did it test and why?" If you just ask a question about whether they do unit testing, you'll get a suitably vague and chirpy response, but specifics will normally get you a clearer answer - usually starting with a few seconds of embarrassed shuffling in their seat while they wrack their brains :>
- anthonyb 16y ago
  The other trick, since I've just been on the interview circuit and used this one a bit: use previous companies brain teasers/language puzzles (eg. worst feature or wart of language X) against the current one. If they don't do any language puzzles or ask you hard questions, then either a) run screaming or b) use that as an excuse to ask a hard language question.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
    As an interviewer this gives me absolutely no useful information! The questions I ask have to be relevant to your ability to do the job. Brain teasers and opinions about languages aren't. Now, if you have, e.g., C++ and Python on your resume and I ask you to compare how easy/difficult it is to do a certain operation using either language, that can give me insight into your experience using them. Just asking what your most/least favorite language feature is doesn't. ps, why would you ask an interviewer a language question?
    - anthonyb 16y ago
      If you're looking for a senior developer with 5-10 years experience in a language it's a useful gauge of experience and whether they think about the language that they work in , particularly if it's something that might bite you. eg. What does the following do in Python 2: try: my_dict['foo'].append(result[1]) except IndexError, KeyError: my_dict['foo'] = [result[0]] And you ask interviewers language questions to find out the same thing - namely, whether they really know what they're doing. I'd rather do interesting work, and not get stuck explaining list comprehensions to a bunch of people.
herrherr 16y ago
The question that made at least two recruiters sweat in my last interviews: "Why do you like to work for this company?" I was quite surprised. One would assume, that they have a perfectly prepared answer for a question like that.
- randombit 16y ago
  I'm also fond of "What's the thing you like least about your job?"
  - derekp7 16y ago
    Or, "What is it that keeps you up at night?"
  - FiddlerClamp 16y ago
    I always figured that would be unfair to ask - they might feel they have to lie to keep their job, or they might not want it to get back to other employees. I like to ask what they like most about their work, which gives them a chance to talk about their job, the company, others in the company (usually), and their role.
    - randombit 16y ago
      'they might feel they have to lie to keep their job' Because that's not a warning sign at all! boggles Most people of course answer this question in the same way an interviewee does when asked 'Why did you leave your last position?'. Nobody will ever answer 'that jerk across the hall, I can't STAND that guy'. They will answer something that gives some insight into the company culture. I don't think it's a coincidence, for instance, that easily half the people at Google I've put this question to have answered something along the lines of 'management chaos/confusion', 'the tendency for two internal projects to be competing with each other without even knowing about it', etc. I should have added the followup to my first question is what they like most. Both can be very informative, of course, and following up with that helps put them at ease for the rest of the interview, since many interviewers aren't expecting a question like this one. But it's really worth it. An interview isn't just to answer 'will you hire me', it also must answer 'will I enjoy working here'. The second is much more important to me.
pbhjpbhj 16y ago
OT: Dickbar popping around the place meant that I spent 5 minutes trying to get adblock to work on the cdn and then gave up, don't know why I stayed so long. Don't know what's happened to adblock either ...
larsberg 16y ago
> What has the employee turnover rate been? At least at MSFT, we were not allowed to answer this question. These rates can also be deceptive at face value, as you really want to know the breakdown between good attrition (fired a poor performer) and bad attrition (somebody they wanted to keep left). Zero is also not a good answer, as it means that either they never fire anybody -- and you get to work alongside non-performers who make the same money as you -- or they fail to encourage significant enough personal growth that people occasionally outgrow their position faster than the company can make them a new one for them. Both are very, very bad situations. Well, unless you're just trying to cash a check.
jacquesgt 16y ago
As an interviewer, I've usually made up my mind by the time I let the candidate ask questions. My "tell" in interviews is that I tend to forget to give people I've rejected a chance to ask me questions. So, I'm not looking for the candidate to show deep insight with just the right set of questions But, asking a bunch of overly aggressive questions will earn a candidate a "might not play well with others" footnote on my evaluation. The questions in the article are great. Getting confrontational when you're supposed to be making a good impression is a bit of a warning flag. My advice: Use your questions to make sure you understand what kind of work you'll be doing. Use them to understand the team dynamic. Carefully use them to understand if the company has a reasonable business plan. Don't be a jerk and ask a lot of confrontational or trick questions.
- artmageddon 16y ago
  >But, asking a bunch of overly aggressive questions will earn a candidate a "might not play well with others" footnote on my evaluation. The questions in the article are great. Getting confrontational when you're supposed to be making a good impression is a bit of a warning flag. Can you give examples of these kinds of questions that you've been asked in the past? I'm imagining a question like "You think you can kick my ass in arm-wrestling?" to be one but I'm sure you have different thoughts on it :)
  - jacquesgt 16y ago
    My favorite one was the guy who looked up my name on a list of resumes he had printed out from LinkedIn or something and asked me why I was in such and such a role when I was clearly more suited for another role based on my experience. First of all, he was wrong, and second, creepy! Just in general, be respectful. If you disagree with an answer, ask a clarifying question or move on. Don't tell me in the middle of an interview that out whole approach is wrong, especially when it's on a fairly subjective matter. We're doing the interview to learn about each other, not to convince each other about development philosophies. If you don't understand that there's a time and a place for disagreement, it's a warning sign to me (not saying disagreement is bad, but there are times when it's much more appropriate than others).
edw519 16y ago
"Interviewing the interviewer" is an important strategy to help understand what you're getting into and helping to make sure the whole process remains two-way. But it's a fine line between making an assessment and appearing selfish. Many of OP's questions are problematic... “How many clients has the company added in the past year?” I would prefer trying to assess growth rates outside the interview. In many cases, you should be able to get an idea some other way. This question shows lack of initiative. And, in many cases, the interviewer may not even be permitted to answer it. “What has the employee turnover rate been over the past 24 months?” Too much focus on the negative. You don't like when they ask, "Why did you only stay with Company X for 3 months?" They'll feel the same way. “What’s the company’s policy on work/life balance?” You might as well say, "I intend to deliver 40 hours of my time for 40 hours of pay. If you need extra help, ask someone else. Big turnoff. “What kind of tools are provided to help me do my job?” Better: "What kinds of things do you need me to do to help the company achieve its goals. “In the first 60 to 90 days, what’s my first priority?” Actually, this is a great question. It can paint a good picture of your life and shows that you're ready to get to work. “Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract?” By asking this, you are identifying yourself as a problem. If someone asked me this question, the first thing I would think would be, "What is he up to and what is my risk?" For technology companies, just assume that the answer to this question is "Yes" and sign it. When interviewing someone else, I appreciate good questions. They show interest and possibility. But I get a bit concerned when too many questions are of the variety of "What's in it for me?" I think it's always a better idea to present yourself with President Kennedy's attitude: "Ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company." Find a way to present yourself that way while still learning everything you need to know.
- leftnode 16y ago
  >> You might as well say, "I intend to deliver 40 hours of my time for 40 hours of pay. If you need extra help, ask someone else. Big turnoff. What's wrong with that? If I'm being hired on with a salary, that's my expectation. They can ask me to work extra, but they can also pay me to do that.
  - artmageddon 16y ago
lwhi 16y ago
Think of your interview as a conversation, rather than an inquisition. I think there's a danger that a candidate might appear confrontational if they bombard the interviewer / interviewers with a list of questions that they're unprepared for. The goal of the interview is to find out if the candidate is a good fit. Focus on that (common) goal - ask questions to that help you assess the problem in a way that's as pragmatic as possible. After all, it's in both of your interests to find out whether an appointment is likely to realistically work.
huhtenberg 16y ago
> Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract? Standard answer is Yes, which is fair because it protects the company from you hanging around for a month and then moving straight to their competitors. Non-compete prevents that by requiring a cooling off period of (typically) two years. A more interesting question is if you are allowed to work on your own projects. It seems like an obvious question, but in some countries it is not. For example, EA (Electronic Arts) is in Canada and they explicitly told me at the interview that everything that I ever code while employed with them would belong to EA. And then added that I shouldn't really have time for personal projects if I am to work for EA diligently... at which point I collected my dropped jaw from the floor and left.
BrianHV 16y ago
A lot of interview advice articles mention asking questions as a way of impressing the interviewers. I see that as a side benefit, and one that you earn only if you approach it the right way. Although it may not appear so to folks straight out of college or who have been unemployed for a while, the goal of the interview is not to find a job. The goal is to find a job that's right for you. The job will dominate your life. You'll spend more time there than on any other single activity except sleeping. You'll time your friends, your family, your vacations around this job. For something that's that big a deal, you want to know what you're getting into. So going in with a set of things you want to know about the environment is good; use those things to start conversations. Asking a canned list of questions and pausing for the response won't do much, even if it's your own personalized canned list. Listen to the responses. Ask follow-up questions. Know what you value, and respectfully try to find out if they value the same things. Bring up your curiosity at any appropriate place during the interview; you don't have to wait until the end. That curiosity, that commitment to finding the right environment is what will impress interviewers, not the mere act of asking questions.

124 points by franze 16y ago

Down for me, google cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4o0E3AaVkkYJ:www.talentzoo.com/news.php/Questions-You-Absolutely-Must-Ask-Your-Interviewer/%3FarticleID%3D9159+http://www.talentzoo.com/news.php/Questions-You-Absolutely-Must-Ask-Your-Interviewer/%3FarticleID%3D9159&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4o0E3Aa...

georgieporgie 16y ago

Seems more like a list of, "things you should figure out about your prospective employer without actually asking the questions listed here."

jaidev 16y ago
Exactly. “Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract?” Really? Why do you need to ask this question (as opposed to just looking at the contract)? Asking this at the interview stage only makes it look like you are interested in going somewhere else (BEFORE) you even have this job...
- a5seo 16y ago
  Indeed. It's like asking "Will I be expected to sign a prenup?" on the first date.

arethuza 16y ago

When interviewing candidates I am always very careful to give an accurate account of what I feel the expected work life balance is - I certainly wouldn't regard it, as one commenter does, as a "red flag" if someone asked about it.

limmeau 16y ago
What kind of work-life-balance does the company you interview for offer?
- arethuza 16y ago
  I would say "pretty good" - which is probably why I bring it up. This particular office is also in a superb location which is a big factor to me.
jhc 16y ago
I've only been on the other side of this, but I feel like there are times I've hurt myself as a candidate with the work/life question. Some employers are looking for (and paying for) people who will put the job above everything else. With them, "work/life balance" might be a dirty word. In hindsight, I would phrase the question more like, "what kind of schedule would a successful [person in this job] at your company keep?" On the other hand, unless you really don't care about having a life outside of work, it's probably better to get rejected by the kind of companies who will reject you for asking the question.

busted 16y ago

Speaking from my experience looking for internships during school and for jobs after graduating, the questions you ask your interviewer are really important. Sure, people tell you that it's important because you want to look interested or like you've given the company thought, but more than that, as a person who's new to the workforce, it's important for you to learn about what's out there and what to expect. Answers to questions about work/life balance like, "What time do people usually come in and leave?", "Do coworkers hang out outside of work?", etc. differ greatly between companies. For internships, knowing the scope of your internship and the level of responsibility is a must. Questions about workflow are also crucial. Where do new ideas for products come from? If I have an idea what's the process for getting it implemented? And if you can't think of anything else, just ask what they think you should know about the company. Maybe you don't know what you don't know! You shouldn't feel like you're walking a fine line between looking disinterested for not asking questions and looking entitled for asking them. Even if you bombed the interview (and who hasn't), asking questions about the company will give you more information for comparison at the companies whose interviews you succeed at. And if you have multiple rounds of interviews, feel free to ask the same question to multiple people to get differing opinions. The company you go to is going to be part of your life for a long time, educate yourself about work environments just like you educate yourself about your field.

anthonyb 16y ago

One of my favorites: "What was the last unit test you wrote, and what did it test and why?" If you just ask a question about whether they do unit testing, you'll get a suitably vague and chirpy response, but specifics will normally get you a clearer answer - usually starting with a few seconds of embarrassed shuffling in their seat while they wrack their brains :>

anthonyb 16y ago
The other trick, since I've just been on the interview circuit and used this one a bit: use previous companies brain teasers/language puzzles (eg. worst feature or wart of language X) against the current one. If they don't do any language puzzles or ask you hard questions, then either a) run screaming or b) use that as an excuse to ask a hard language question.
- HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
  As an interviewer this gives me absolutely no useful information! The questions I ask have to be relevant to your ability to do the job. Brain teasers and opinions about languages aren't. Now, if you have, e.g., C++ and Python on your resume and I ask you to compare how easy/difficult it is to do a certain operation using either language, that can give me insight into your experience using them. Just asking what your most/least favorite language feature is doesn't. ps, why would you ask an interviewer a language question?
  - anthonyb 16y ago
    If you're looking for a senior developer with 5-10 years experience in a language it's a useful gauge of experience and whether they think about the language that they work in , particularly if it's something that might bite you. eg. What does the following do in Python 2: try: my_dict['foo'].append(result[1]) except IndexError, KeyError: my_dict['foo'] = [result[0]] And you ask interviewers language questions to find out the same thing - namely, whether they really know what they're doing. I'd rather do interesting work, and not get stuck explaining list comprehensions to a bunch of people.

herrherr 16y ago

The question that made at least two recruiters sweat in my last interviews: "Why do you like to work for this company?" I was quite surprised. One would assume, that they have a perfectly prepared answer for a question like that.

randombit 16y ago
I'm also fond of "What's the thing you like least about your job?"
- derekp7 16y ago
  Or, "What is it that keeps you up at night?"
- FiddlerClamp 16y ago
  I always figured that would be unfair to ask - they might feel they have to lie to keep their job, or they might not want it to get back to other employees. I like to ask what they like most about their work, which gives them a chance to talk about their job, the company, others in the company (usually), and their role.
  - randombit 16y ago
    'they might feel they have to lie to keep their job' Because that's not a warning sign at all! boggles Most people of course answer this question in the same way an interviewee does when asked 'Why did you leave your last position?'. Nobody will ever answer 'that jerk across the hall, I can't STAND that guy'. They will answer something that gives some insight into the company culture. I don't think it's a coincidence, for instance, that easily half the people at Google I've put this question to have answered something along the lines of 'management chaos/confusion', 'the tendency for two internal projects to be competing with each other without even knowing about it', etc. I should have added the followup to my first question is what they like most. Both can be very informative, of course, and following up with that helps put them at ease for the rest of the interview, since many interviewers aren't expecting a question like this one. But it's really worth it. An interview isn't just to answer 'will you hire me', it also must answer 'will I enjoy working here'. The second is much more important to me.

pbhjpbhj 16y ago

OT: Dickbar popping around the place meant that I spent 5 minutes trying to get adblock to work on the cdn and then gave up, don't know why I stayed so long. Don't know what's happened to adblock either ...

larsberg 16y ago

> What has the employee turnover rate been? At least at MSFT, we were not allowed to answer this question. These rates can also be deceptive at face value, as you really want to know the breakdown between good attrition (fired a poor performer) and bad attrition (somebody they wanted to keep left). Zero is also not a good answer, as it means that either they never fire anybody -- and you get to work alongside non-performers who make the same money as you -- or they fail to encourage significant enough personal growth that people occasionally outgrow their position faster than the company can make them a new one for them. Both are very, very bad situations. Well, unless you're just trying to cash a check.

jacquesgt 16y ago

As an interviewer, I've usually made up my mind by the time I let the candidate ask questions. My "tell" in interviews is that I tend to forget to give people I've rejected a chance to ask me questions. So, I'm not looking for the candidate to show deep insight with just the right set of questions But, asking a bunch of overly aggressive questions will earn a candidate a "might not play well with others" footnote on my evaluation. The questions in the article are great. Getting confrontational when you're supposed to be making a good impression is a bit of a warning flag. My advice: Use your questions to make sure you understand what kind of work you'll be doing. Use them to understand the team dynamic. Carefully use them to understand if the company has a reasonable business plan. Don't be a jerk and ask a lot of confrontational or trick questions.

artmageddon 16y ago
>But, asking a bunch of overly aggressive questions will earn a candidate a "might not play well with others" footnote on my evaluation. The questions in the article are great. Getting confrontational when you're supposed to be making a good impression is a bit of a warning flag. Can you give examples of these kinds of questions that you've been asked in the past? I'm imagining a question like "You think you can kick my ass in arm-wrestling?" to be one but I'm sure you have different thoughts on it :)
- jacquesgt 16y ago
  My favorite one was the guy who looked up my name on a list of resumes he had printed out from LinkedIn or something and asked me why I was in such and such a role when I was clearly more suited for another role based on my experience. First of all, he was wrong, and second, creepy! Just in general, be respectful. If you disagree with an answer, ask a clarifying question or move on. Don't tell me in the middle of an interview that out whole approach is wrong, especially when it's on a fairly subjective matter. We're doing the interview to learn about each other, not to convince each other about development philosophies. If you don't understand that there's a time and a place for disagreement, it's a warning sign to me (not saying disagreement is bad, but there are times when it's much more appropriate than others).

edw519 16y ago

"Interviewing the interviewer" is an important strategy to help understand what you're getting into and helping to make sure the whole process remains two-way. But it's a fine line between making an assessment and appearing selfish. Many of OP's questions are problematic... “How many clients has the company added in the past year?” I would prefer trying to assess growth rates outside the interview. In many cases, you should be able to get an idea some other way. This question shows lack of initiative. And, in many cases, the interviewer may not even be permitted to answer it. “What has the employee turnover rate been over the past 24 months?” Too much focus on the negative. You don't like when they ask, "Why did you only stay with Company X for 3 months?" They'll feel the same way. “What’s the company’s policy on work/life balance?” You might as well say, "I intend to deliver 40 hours of my time for 40 hours of pay. If you need extra help, ask someone else. Big turnoff. “What kind of tools are provided to help me do my job?” Better: "What kinds of things do you need me to do to help the company achieve its goals. “In the first 60 to 90 days, what’s my first priority?” Actually, this is a great question. It can paint a good picture of your life and shows that you're ready to get to work. “Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract?” By asking this, you are identifying yourself as a problem. If someone asked me this question, the first thing I would think would be, "What is he up to and what is my risk?" For technology companies, just assume that the answer to this question is "Yes" and sign it. When interviewing someone else, I appreciate good questions. They show interest and possibility. But I get a bit concerned when too many questions are of the variety of "What's in it for me?" I think it's always a better idea to present yourself with President Kennedy's attitude: "Ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company." Find a way to present yourself that way while still learning everything you need to know.

leftnode 16y ago
>> You might as well say, "I intend to deliver 40 hours of my time for 40 hours of pay. If you need extra help, ask someone else. Big turnoff. What's wrong with that? If I'm being hired on with a salary, that's my expectation. They can ask me to work extra, but they can also pay me to do that.
- artmageddon 16y ago

lwhi 16y ago

Think of your interview as a conversation, rather than an inquisition. I think there's a danger that a candidate might appear confrontational if they bombard the interviewer / interviewers with a list of questions that they're unprepared for. The goal of the interview is to find out if the candidate is a good fit. Focus on that (common) goal - ask questions to that help you assess the problem in a way that's as pragmatic as possible. After all, it's in both of your interests to find out whether an appointment is likely to realistically work.

huhtenberg 16y ago

> Are employees required to sign a non-compete contract? Standard answer is Yes, which is fair because it protects the company from you hanging around for a month and then moving straight to their competitors. Non-compete prevents that by requiring a cooling off period of (typically) two years. A more interesting question is if you are allowed to work on your own projects. It seems like an obvious question, but in some countries it is not. For example, EA (Electronic Arts) is in Canada and they explicitly told me at the interview that everything that I ever code while employed with them would belong to EA. And then added that I shouldn't really have time for personal projects if I am to work for EA diligently... at which point I collected my dropped jaw from the floor and left.

BrianHV 16y ago

A lot of interview advice articles mention asking questions as a way of impressing the interviewers. I see that as a side benefit, and one that you earn only if you approach it the right way. Although it may not appear so to folks straight out of college or who have been unemployed for a while, the goal of the interview is not to find a job. The goal is to find a job that's right for you. The job will dominate your life. You'll spend more time there than on any other single activity except sleeping. You'll time your friends, your family, your vacations around this job. For something that's that big a deal, you want to know what you're getting into. So going in with a set of things you want to know about the environment is good; use those things to start conversations. Asking a canned list of questions and pausing for the response won't do much, even if it's your own personalized canned list. Listen to the responses. Ask follow-up questions. Know what you value, and respectfully try to find out if they value the same things. Bring up your curiosity at any appropriate place during the interview; you don't have to wait until the end. That curiosity, that commitment to finding the right environment is what will impress interviewers, not the mere act of asking questions.